Saturday, November 15, 2014

If playing baseball simulations and watching and talking a lot about baseball is valuable, a hereby throw my hat into the ring.

But his mind has been in the game during much of the 10 years since; he has written extensively, and as an ESPN analyst watched and talked a lot about baseball.

Add that to a longtime interest in analytics he ascribes to playing the Stratomatic baseball game as a kid, and creativity and leadership qualities he has developed through life experiences, and Glanville, 44, feels he can present well.

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Joe Maddon skipped town to sign with the Cubs on a five-year, $25 million contract, so the Rays need to find a new manager. They’re going to initially try to select one from a list of eight candidates, but according to earlier reports, they are going to check out at least 12 potential managers before making a decision.

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

BBC might have been on board with Parker’s rant ... until he wondered aloud about Ausmus.

The Maddon hire isn’t the problem. He’s a veteran skipper who has had success. It’s the Molitor hiring that should make aspiring black and Hispanic managers feeling salty.

While a great player, Molitor doesn’t have any managerial experience - not in the minors or majors.

That’s a new trend in MLB, hiring guys who have never managed before. Some have never even been a coach on the minor league or major league level.

Enter Brad Ausmus. Somehow, Ausmus got the Detroit Tigers’ manager’s job without ever being a coach first after his playing days were over.

Sadly, the last three managers to get such a plum gig had more than just no experience in common. All three were white.

In St. Louis, Mike Matheny was named manager of the Cardinals in 2008. It was a shocking hire because Matheny had no prior managing or coaching experience in professional baseball, but took over for the retiring Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa.

The trend would be cool if it were happening to all involved in MLB, if black and Hispanic former players were landing these gigs as well. But it’s not the case.

Right now, there’s only one black manager left in the MLB ranks. That’s Lloyd McClendon of the Seattle Mariners. McClendon had a good first year, just missing the postseason in the final week of the season. ...

With Maddon gone from Tampa Bay, the Rays need a new skipper.

It should have been a layup. Dave Martinez, their longtime Hispanic bench coach, should have gotten that gig already.

Martinez is qualified, to say the least. Best of all, he knows the organization and the personnel. Plus, Martinez has been interviewed for numerous managerial gigs in the majors in recent years. He hadn’t gotten a gig thus far mainly because the fit wasn’t right.

But instead of nabbing Martinez, the Rays have opened up the job and looking at a number of candidates to replace Maddon.

It would be a crime if Martinez doesn’t get the job. The man has paid his dues. That’s the way guys used to become managers.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

“Most important thing for me is a manager that the players can relate to and feel comfortable,” third baseman Evan Longoria texted Saturday. “Don’t think that the environment in the clubhouse needs a complete overhaul. I welcome a new manager’s enthusiasm. Joe was pretty tough to rival on that front, so we will see what the new plans are.”

Top starter Alex Cobb said personality and leadership skills — preferably as a “players’ manager” who “truly has your back” — are more important than strategic ability.

“Sometimes over-managing can be almost overevaluated and thought of too highly,” Cobb said. “What I would look for is someone that can really bring guys together and truly have the ultimate goal just by winning games.”

And Cobb, for one anyway, said the Rays don’t necessarily need to focus on finding a Maddon clone.

“You’re not going to be able to replicate what we had here,” Cobb said. “I think going in a different direction might be the way to go. I don’t think being narrow-minded and envisioning one particular way of success will be the answer here.”

“There’s a sensitivity to this. Everybody being talked about has a manager,” said Nero of the fact that only the Minnesota Twins (and now the Rays) have a managerial vacancy. “All speculation does is create harm. Rick Renteria is the Cubs’ manager until something else happens that changes that.”

Jeff Banister and Kevin Cash look like frontrunners in a surprising turn of events. I say surprising because it’s not like they’re Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland. Going outside for a proven winner is one thing. Hiring a guy with less managerial experience than the candidate in hand is a scary, bold proposition.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

In the case of the Rangers’ managerial search, which is likely to be pared down to three finalists this week, the mentors — particularly Terry Francona and Clint Hurdle — loom very big. Both are models for what the Rangers want in their next manager. Both have taken two different organizations to the postseason. Both have been to the World Series.
Most importantly, they both have commanding presence, yet manage by inclusion.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The sources would not identify the three candidates, but a report by USA Today listed four finalists for the position: Oakland A’s bench coach Chip Hale, Cleveland first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Diamondbacks Triple-A manager Phil Nevin and former major-league manager Jim Tracy. Sources would not confirm nor deny the names in the report.